help assess my action!

[sweed]

Howdy,

I'm Alex, new to the mandolin cafe community. ~o)

I've had a loar f style mando since last june (please don't burn me at the stake), I played it through the summer months, did some travel from august-december and didn't play at all (and foolishly did not know to loosen the strings during that period), and I've been playing pretty rigorously since christmas. I live up in new england and do from time to time have to take it out of my house, into the cold winter cold, just a few minutes away to my buddy's house.

I'm starting to grow suspiscious that my neck is bending in a little bit after all that exposure to temperature changes and lackluckster maintenance, though maybe its not too bad. I can certainly still play it, and play the first frets. But when I look under the strings, it seems that there is a growing (and unnneccessary) amount of space between the strings and the fret board, even at the first frets. furthermore, my fingers still hurt these days after long jam sessions, is this normal or due to the high action?

My question then - what's the ideal action? i comp along chords to jazz songs and play melodies, some fiddle tunes, nothing too loud. using coated or phospher bronze light strings. Should the strings be as close as possible to the frets without touching them? And furthermore, can it be fixed by adjusting the action or is it just messed up because of the way the neck is shaping? (hehe, again, don't bash me for the Loar, I'm in the market for a new A-style mando soon)

cheers,
Alex

[matthew71]

I am not an expert, but.....

Run you eye down the fretboard, or place a long ruler along the upper edge of the fretboard. That will tell you if there is a bow in the neck. If there is a bow, start by having your nearby music shop adjust the truss rod.

[chasray]

Nothing wrong with owning and playing The Loar. As matthew71 says, your problem could be minor, as simple as a truss rod adjustment. It would be great if you were reasonably close to a music shop with a knowledgeable setup man. Maybe he would even show you some things.

As seasons change, your mandolin will too. It could play easy in the summer and start buzzing in late winter. So you could be faced with needing minor adjustments every few months or so. Lot of it you may want to learn to do yourself.

[sweed]

Hey, I like my Loar, but i kept reading people here spittin on them. ha I can't complain though I got this guy for free..

[JeffD]

Hey, I like my Loar, but i kept reading people here spittin on them. ..

You will also read a kit if praise for them here as well. Lots of folks love 'em.

[allenhopkins]

1. Loars are very acceptable instruments, and you shouldn't be criticized here for playing one.

2. It's not necessary to take string tension off when the instrument sits unplayed for months. As a matter of fact, it's not a good idea, if it's just going to sit, and not be exposed to stress through temperature or humidity fluctuations. A decent mandolin is designed to have the proper "action" under string tension, and when the tension's relaxed, the neck may flex back. Then when it's tuned up to pitch, the action may be too low, causing strings to rattle or buzz on higher frets. In many cases, a short time under restored tension will then return the neck to the proper adjustment, but not always.

3. Brief exposure to winter temperatures, such as taking the cased mandolin to a jam in your car, is usually not harmful. If the instrument's allowed to sit in really cold temperatures until it's totally frozen, then exposed to warm indoor temperatures without a prolonged transition period of sitting in the case, finish damage can occur, what's called "lacquer checking." The wood and finish expand at different rates as they warm up quickly, and the finish detaches from the wood causing fine cracks in the finish (not in the wood).

4. New England winters are more likely to cause a humidity problem, as furnace-heated air drives down the relative humidity inside the house. Prolonged dryness can cause wood to crack, glue joints to fail -- and, in some cases, necks to warp. Make sure that your mandolin stays inside its case when not being played, and it doesn't hurt to get a hygrometer (humidity measuring gauge) and check to see that the relative humidity where the instrument's kept stays above 40% if at all possible. And if not, an in-case humidifier is a good, and modest, investment.

5. Seasonal changes in a mandolin's structure are not uncommon. An adjustable bridge (I assume your Loar has one) allows you to adjust bridge height seasonally, and compensate for the changes temperature and humidity cause. Don't be afraid to adjust it, but if you need some advice, a good repair shop can look at the instrument and recommend bridge adjustment, truss rod adjustment, or whatever seems needed.

Don't apologize for your Loar, and don't be afraid to either adjust it yourself, or have it professionally adjusted. Lots of on-line resources for advice in this regard. And concerning the "proper height" for strings, the dealer where I used to work part-time had a sign in his repair shop: "All customers desiring their action adjusted as low as possible, but without buzzing, please leave the premises." It's a compromise, and it's based on how hard you play, what gauge strings you use, and what your fretting fingers can take.

[onassis]

Hey, I like my Loar, but i kept reading people here spittin on them.

I honestly don't recall much negativity towards The Loar, other than something of a dislike for the name itself. Some may have a preference for something different (personally, I don't like the shape of their necks), but generally they get a lot of love around here.

[OldSausage]

I honestly don't recall much negativity towards The Loar, other than something of a dislike for the name itself. Some may have a preference for something different (personally, I don't like the shape of their necks), but generally they get a lot of love around here.

+1

[Folkmusician.com]

There was an initial backlash against The Loar's due to the name, but most of that has past now. The majority of reviews I read are favorable. My customers have been extremely happy as a whole and The Loar's have a good chunk of market share. I have no doubt that someone will come along and dethrone them in the future. For now I believe there are a lot more players purchasing these than you think.